I'm a demon babegit.
　I've been crying every day.

　I can't make the dishes just the way I want them to be.

　I've been making dishes for more than 50 years. It's been more than fifty years since I've been making dishes, and it's in the past that I thought there was no one better than me in the demon kingdom.

　That day and time, at that place, that guy from the Great Demon King showed me the most bizarre plate.
　After knowing the existence of that plate, I could never call myself the best potter in the Devil's Land again.

　The colors and shapes that surpassed the common sense of plate making until now.
　I tried to make a plate that exceeded it, but I couldn't make it at all. I can't even imitate or come close to that wonderful dish, let alone surpass it.

　I couldn't even know what kind of paint to use when I tried to make a brightly colored plate.
　If you try to make it into a bizarre shape and distort it easily, it will lose its strength, and worst of all, it will break during firing in the kiln.

　Even if you repeat your mistakes over and over again, you won't even get the hang of it.

　When I first started, I was optimistic that it would be a challenge, but I knew I could make it work.
　I took pride in the fact that I was the best potter in all of Makoku. If I had the skills and know-how that I'd developed in my past work, there was no reason why I couldn't do it.
　It was that kind of thinking, but it felt like all the confidence I'd accumulated over the past fifty years had been shattered.

　I'm already an old man and my heart is breaking...!
　I never thought I'd be faced with a situation that would break my heart in my later years...!

　What has been my life as a craftsman all this time...?

Don't get shocked by your work alone, master.

　What are you doing, apprentice?
　You're doing your job!　They've already been baking plates for forty-seventy consecutive shifts!

"I'm asking you to bake normal plates. We're asking you to bake plates that are not for sale, that have strange shapes and colors. It's almost a hobby, isn't it? Baking those dishes is just a forty-seventh consecutive day off.

　Shut up!　You'll always be half a man because you don't know the superlative value of this plate!
　There's nothing funny about it, just a round, white, round dish to bake on!

... (irritated)

　Excuse me!
　But I'm not going to stop making new plates!　I'm at an age when I'm already a retiree, you guys can do plenty of work on your own!

It's just that Master's dishes have brand power. The Great Demon Lord really does a lot of unnecessary things for his master...

　I agree with you!

All right, let's get going.

　Huh?　Where?

I didn't know they were having an exhibition now. I heard that a strange plate made by Master's obsession farm is on display.

　What?　The new stuff on the farm!
　Dozens of gold coins, depending on the market value. Depending on the item, there are several hundred gold coins on display.

It's not just a new creation, it's like the person who made it is here. That's very unusual, because his name hasn't even been mentioned until now.

　What did you say?

　There's the creator of the farm's alternate plate that I've been dying to meet!
　I've reached out to all kinds of messengers to talk to you at first sight, to no avail, and to this day I've had to try and do it by trial and error!

"I can't do this!　Let's go to that expo or whatever it is called right away!　I'll meet you in person and ask you to teach me!
I knew you'd say that. I hope this will help you to give up on it in some way.

　　　　* * *

　Then came the exposition hall.
　I didn't expect it to be outside the Magic City.
　There was no way we were going to get around in a gigantic carriage pulled by a flying mystery horse. I was astonished even before we arrived.

　The apprentice who came along with me without hiding his intention to be some kind of chaperone.

I heard that the people and things you are looking for are in a place called the Pottery Museum. I heard that there are ceramic plates and vessels on display. ........Oh, before we go there, shall we stop by the 'Natto Museum'?

　I'm not going!
　We're not stopping anywhere. We're going straight!

　Here's an encounter with the creator of that oddball dish you've been dreaming about!　I didn't even look aside, of course!

　And when I arrived at the scene of the crime, I found myself comparing techniques with the dwarves, perhaps because it was a good day.

"Wow!

　To be able to compete with the dwarves, who are touted as the world's best craftsmen, the farm's artisans were a godsend after all!

I'm going to apprentice myself to the master craftsman who made this masterpiece.
"There's no way you can do that!

　Even though my students chided me, I didn't leave the room until the closing ceremony.

　I circulated the room where the dwarves and My Heart Master faced off many times, and voted for the Heart Master after receiving a ballot card (after the first one, all votes were invalid).

　The dumbfounded disciple left Ira alone and seemed to enjoy the rest of the pavilion....

'Master, have you been here all this time?　The tempura udon and yakisoba pizza were really good.

　They're having a super fun time!
　And after the break-up and the close of business, we finally got to see each other as we had longed to...!

　　　　* * * *

''.........I never thought that the master I truly believe in was an elf......!

　But I'm convinced.
　I've been working as a demon craftsman for fifty years, and my know-how is not even close to what I've learned as a demon craftsman, and the only person who can compete with the best dwarf craftsman in the world is an elf.

"Take me as an apprentice!
''All of a sudden, you're throwing five bodies?

　Master Elf was greatly surprised.
　He was still an elf like a young girl, but age had nothing to do with the skills he cultivated!

"This babygit, although I am a wrinkled old man who can't even master half the skill and sensitivity of your old man, I would like to learn from you and polish my skills even more...!　I want to devote myself to it until I die!
"Mm, good thinking!　Anything I can teach you, you can do!

　How noble!
　That's the kind of master craftsman who creates such masterpieces!　His heart is a lot bigger than mine!

No, I'm telling you, no.

　Apprentice?

If it is known that you, the owner of the kiln, have become an apprentice of another style, the reputation of our kiln will be ruined. Please don't do anything rash for the sake of ten workers.
f*ck you!　A craftsman is more interested in honing his skills than defending his position!　That kind of self-preservation is what rots the technique!
God, that's the craziest thing about you...

　That's what craftsmen are supposed to do, till the day they die!

No, wait.

　Then a different elf from my heart master, Lord Aeron, interrupted the conversation. Perhaps he is one of the members of Master Elron's workshop?

Oh, what's that, El Trigger?
'At this point, I have to tell you, we're having trouble with Team Leader Aileron making weird dishes too.
Weird Dish?

　A mutiny?

"I'll admit that your plates are artistic, but they would be too unwieldy for everyday use, wouldn't they?　These days, we get orders directly from the saints to us, saying, 'Make me a regular plate.'
Seriously?

　Master Elon is astonished!
　You didn't know this?

'How can you be so...?　I imagine our saint is enjoying his daily meals on my art glassware...?
That may have been true at first, but nowadays we tend to put too much emphasis on artistry. It's getting harder and harder to handle, don't you think?

　The elf states matter-of-factly.
　Ah, could it be that this guy is the deputy squad leader?

This is a good opportunity for you to go back to your roots and return to more user-friendly, more conventional tableware.
No!　Aside from the saints, I have fans across the country who are eagerly awaiting my academic and cubist vessels!　We can't change the lines now!

　I understand!
　I'm one of those fans!

'By and large, the vessels I make are the ones that sell the most through the trade association!　It's a record high!　Isn't this necessary to raise funds for the Elven Forest Restoration Project?
Maybe so, but our top priority should be the order of the saints.
'No, no, no!　I want to bake a crooked bowl!

　I know, master of the mind!

It's a true craftsman's nature to follow his or her own desire to express themselves!
No, I think it's about doing what the client wants...!
'I'm with you on this one!　Keep making distorted plates forever and ever!

　Ira and the Master of Hearts understood each other.

　Beside them, Euler's apprentice and the deputy squad leader at Lord Aileron's place walked up to him with a sigh and shook hands tightly.

　''What is it?''　Like the closeness between people who have that troubled boss?
　And this dwarf protégé of the dwarf tribe comes along and lays his hands on top of each other.

An alliance to keep a troublesome chieftain in check was formed?